Tag: Florida!!!

Film Review: A Lady Without Passport (1950); Directed by Joseph H. Lewis

Film poster for A Lady Without Passport (1950); directed by Joseph H. Lewis.

Review

A Lady Without Passport was the Noir Alley selection on TCM for September 14th. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Noir Alley, it is my favorite programming block on TCM (Turner Classic Movies) and it showcases films in the film noir genre. While I’ll fallen off from time to time due to work and school commitments, I’ve been a devout viewer and fan from the beginning. Eddie Muller, the host, is one of my favorite people. His encyclopedic knowledge of film noir as well as his verbose intros and outros, make him an excellent host.

I can’t exactly blame him [Lewis] for bilking the King Brothers for a chance at making a film with the bright lights, big-budget “Tiffany” studio MGM, but there’s something to be said about less money, more creative control, and the way tighter purse strings spur innovation.

One of the best things about Eddie is his straight-shooter, no-nonsense analyses. When something doesn’t quite land or is, to be frank, hot garbage with interesting window dressing, he says so. I’ve taken a few days to digest A Lady Without Passport and to be honest, it’s shocking to the system that this is the film Joseph H. Lewis made directly after Gun Crazy. I can’t exactly blame him for bilking the King Brothers for a chance at making a film with the bright lights, big-budget “Tiffany” studio MGM, but there’s something to be said about less money, more creative control, and the way tighter purse strings spur innovation.

Mostly, I’d say that I concur with what The New York Times had to say about the film*:

Romance is slightly more important than reason in this number and while the scenery, meaning Havana and Florida, is authentic and picturesque, the goings-on are as intriguing as those in any garden variety melodrama. The ring of connivers who are dedicated to smuggling aliens into this country get their come-uppance but it hardly seems worth all the effort.

I’m not disappointed I watched the movie, not least of all because John Hodiak was exceedingly handsome in the picture, but I don’t really think it bears repeat viewing either.

I’m not disappointed I watched the movie, not least of all because John Hodiak was exceedingly handsome in the picture, but I don’t really think it bears repeat viewing either. If you’re looking for a good John H. Lewis film to watch, Gun Crazy is a much better choice (and it does bear repeat viewing).

*The quote was taken from a review in The New York Times titled “Hedy Lamarr as ‘Lady Without Passport’” (linked here).

Thanks as always for being a faithful reader of The Voracious Bibliophile. If you like what you see, please like, comment, follow, and subscribe to my email list to get notified of new posts as soon as they drop. You can also email me at fred.slusher@thevoraciousbibliophile.com or catch me on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest @voraciousbiblog. Keep reading the world, one page (or pixel) at a time.

Happy Release Day to Taylor Swift and The Tortured Poets Department

Album cover for Taylor Swift’s 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department

It’s been a long time coming…

But we finally get to hear The Tortured Poets Department, Taylor Swift’s highly anticipated 11th studio album, which she announced the night she won the Grammy for Album of the Year for Midnights earlier this year.

Everyone knows I’m a massive Swiftie. I was fortunate enough to see Miss Americana on her record-breaking Eras Tour in both Nashville and Cincinnati (VIP floor seats for Nashville, lower bowl for Cincinnati), and they were two of the most transformative experiences of my life so far.

That said, I already own like 16 copies of this album that I’ve not even heard a teaser of (I am writing this on March 23rd, 2024) because you know I had to buy every single variant: The Manuscript, The Bolter, The Albatross, and The Black Dog. And each of them came in vinyl, CD, and cassette formats. So, I’ve spent roughly $300 or more on this album and I am not anywhere near approaching rich. I’m paycheck to paycheck, so this album had better deliver. But I know it will. I’m afraid it might dethrone folklore as my favorite Swift album.

My first clue that that might be the case was the song titles, of course. I mean, “Clara Bow”? As in, THE Clara Bow, the silent film siren who successfully transitioned into talkies in the late 20s. The woman who Taylor has been subtly Easter-egging into different pieces of content? Honey, I’m a child of TCM and I am ready for this album. I saw a lot of people on Twitter (ain’t no such thing as X) already claiming what they think their favorite songs will be, so I was and am obliged to do the same. “Clara Bow” belongs to me.

I will post reactions to my first listen-through ASAP, I promise you.

Thanks as always for being a faithful reader of The Voracious Bibliophile. If you like what you see, please like, comment, follow, and subscribe to my email list to get notified of new posts as soon as they drop. You can also email me at fred.slusher@thevoraciousbibliophile.com or catch me on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest @voraciousbiblog. Keep reading the world, one page (or pixel) at a time.